


Selfish

by lonelygiraffes



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, Bisexual Adrien, F/M, M/M, Mild Fluff, Multi, Polyamory, Post Reveal
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-18
Updated: 2016-02-01
Packaged: 2018-05-02 08:05:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5240873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lonelygiraffes/pseuds/lonelygiraffes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's hard to be in love with two people at once. It's even harder when they're already in love with each other. </p><p>Nathaniel centered fic, kinda ooc, let's see where this is headed! Cause not even I know yet. Stay tuned...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The best kind of suffering

**Author's Note:**

> Hiya! This'll be my first fic on here and I hope you all enjoy. I'm open to suggestions, so don't hesitate to leave your input! Also if anyone needs somebody to proof read or beta their fics, let me know :) everybody is aged up to about 17, head canon that Nathaniel is a drama queen sass master, but only in his head.

It's tough to have the person you like be in a relationship with someone else. It's especially tough to have the two people you like be in a relationship with someone else. What puts the icing on the tough cake is that they both are in a relationship with each other. But Nathaniel isn't one to complain. Although he is one to worry and agonize internally, and that's exactly what he's doing.

Marinette had been easy to fall in love with. Her kind demeanor and her passion for design had him lovesick as soon as they met. In time he found flaws, but they just made her more endearing. She was adorable and sweet, her smile was gentle and sincere, and he wished he could just get her attention. But so long as he had crippling anxiety and extreme self doubt, the chances of that happening were slim to none. If only he was as charming and confident in real life as he was on paper...

Then there was Adrien. It was no secret, even to secluded, distant Nathaniel, that Marinette was head over heels for him. He hoped one day she would blush and stumble over her words in front of him, like she did with Adrien. And for that Nathaniel had a lot of admiration and pent up resentment toward the blond model. That was before he suddenly found himself in the same position as Marinette and half of Paris's population. Nathaniel liked Adrien for a lot of the same reasons he liked Marinette. He was kind and gentle, but unlike his pig-tailed admirer, he was aloof and self assured. He'd mistaken a crush for the boy, as simple admiration, and before Nathaniel knew it, he was too far gone to back out.

Finding out he liked boys was not a big deal for him. It was almost like a switch had been flicked on and a light revealed the reason for the weird butterflies in his stomach and the red on his cheeks after seeing a cute boy. 'Oh that makes a lot more sense' he had thought simply after reevaluating how he felt about Adrien. 

A few years passed and crushing in silence was what Nathaniel had gotten used to, and it was relatively easy until he overheard (was spying on) a conversation between his two loves in the courtyard between classes.

Adrien looked more flushed than usual and Marinette was fidgeting and playing with the zipper on her purse. They looked cute in the morning light.

"So I uhm want you to know something, and I've been thinking about this for a while, and I-I was wondering if it was alright with you,"  
Adrien hesitated and took a deep breath, and Nathaniel's stomach dropped, "do you want to go out with me?" He blurted, unceremoniously.

Marinette's eyes shot up to his and she looked like she had stopped breathing. She started to nod vigorously, untrusting in her ability to speak at the moment. Adrien grabbed her hands. "Great! I've gotta run but I'll text you okay? Bye, my lady!" He winked at her as he ran off in the direction the Nathaniel was standing (hiding).

Adrien stopped for half a second as he passed Nathaniel and gave him a small wave and a smile. It both melted and broke his heart. Seeing how happy they could make each other without him gave him a farmilar ache in his cheast. He turned back to look at Marinette, who was now jumping up and down with Alya, who had apparently been hiding to watch them too. She was as red as a person could get. It broke Nathaniel's heart again in seconds 'A record' he thought to himself as he started heading to class.  
_________________________________

Adrien was overjoyed. Even since they had revealed their identities, the relationship between Adrien and Marinette had been rocky at best. They had learned something huge about each other, but all of a sudden they knew nothing about one another. Adrien felt like a stranger. He thought he knew ladybug and Marinette. The blending of their images in his mind was strange, exciting, and disorienting. They both decided to put their feelings for each other aside until they digested the information. Their new dynamic was so foreign, nothing like he thought is would be. But in time, all doubts and awkwardness left them, and Adrien couldn't possibly imagine anyone except Marinette being his ladybug. After he got to know the new person that ladybug and Marinette had become, their partnership and friendship mixed into an easy romance. They were both aware (and had been for a while) that their feelings for each other were mutual. All Adrien had to do was make it official. Even though he kinda lost his cool for a second there, she said yes! Well she didn't say it, but she was nodding her head so aggressively thst one of her pig-tails had started to come loose, and if that wasn't a yes he didn't know what was.

He had gotten all the way to his next class and sat down in his seat before he registered it. His mind only on how happy he was. He didn't notice Nathaniel wander into class looking hurt, or Nino giving him a pat on the back, or even notice when the bell for class had rung.  
"Dude, are those hearts you're drawing?" Adrien jumped in his seat, rudely brought back into reality. He covered up the doodles in question "non conspicuously" and looked at Nino cautiously.  
"No." He lied.  
Nino snickered. "Heh heh it went that well huh?"   
"Stop you're making me blush, man." Adrien whined, pathetically.  
"You're too easy Adrien. You're almost as red as Marinette these days."  
From behind their seats, listening intently, Nathaniel agreed. It was adorable. It made his heart beat so fast it hurt. He sighed just quiet enough for them to keep in ignoring his presence. He was good at that. Unknown to him was chat noir's excellent hearing. Adrien looked up at him and Nathaniel froze.  
"What's up Nathaniel?" He asked sincerely. He was so sweet.  
"O-oh. Long day I guess... It's nothing." He raised his shoulders noncommittally. Adrien and Nino gave him the same sympathetic expression.  
"If there's anything we can do man, let us know." Nino gave him a thumbs up and a wink. Nathaniel smiled politely and continued to pretend to do work. The two boys in front of him did the same when they saw the teacher look up, ready to scold some rule breakers.  
'Don't go fall for Nino too,' he thought, 'next thing you know he'll start dating Adrien and Marinette too.' His mind continued like that for the next half hour. 'Don't fall in love with Ivan. He'll probably start dating your mom.' He clenched his fist in agitation, trapped in a depressive thought loop. 'Don't fall for anyone, they'll start dating the whole world just so you're the only living being without a date to square dancing weekend.' His thoughts were spiraling quick. 'Square dancing weekend will be the only thing that loves you, and only cause it's the number one thing that you hate most.' He clenched his fist a little tighter, losing himself in his feelings. 'I hate square dancing weekend.' Nathaniel didn't realize how tight he was gripping his pen until it made a squeaking sound in protest. Adrien turned around and looked him in the eyes. His expression was concerned.  
"Nathaniel, are you sure you're alright? You're holding your pen like it personally wronged you.."  
He didn't reply. He just looked down and started picking at the old wood desk. Adrien gave him another sympathetic look. "Do you want to come to lunch with us? Alya and Mari are coming too. You're more than welcome to join." Nathaniel considered telling him he had plans and save himself the heartache, but he must love to torture himself.  
"That sounds nice." He replied quietly, forcing a smile.  
_________________________________

Lunch went much better than he thought it would. The group walked to a café not too far from the school. It would've been easy to stroll behind the four and feel like a fifth wheel, but they all made sure Nathaniel didn't walk by himself. They arrived and took a seat by the window, as Nathaniel tried to occupy himself with anything other than his crushes faces. Alya talked the most, Nathaniel noticed. She was editor of their school's newspaper now, she was always excited to share the news with anyone who wanted to listen. She asked Adrien to proof-read her article on the first GSA meeting for their school. The conversation was a light hearted and casual. It was a nice change from eating lunch alone with Juleka, who was extremely negative while Rose was preoccupied with scrap booking club.

"So do you guys think you're going to go?"  
"Hm?" He looked up and saw Alya staring at him expectantly.  
"To the GSA meeting?" Marinette asked. "Sure I'd love to."  
"Yeah I think I will too." Adrien added, "What about you Nathaniel?"  
"Oh uhm, I'm not sure. I might be doing something," he definitely wasn't, "I'd like to though."  
"It's on Tuesday, right after school." Alya said. "Text me and I'll give you a ride if you want." She smiled at Marinette and winked. Marinette gasped.  
"You got a car!?" The whole café looked over but she didn't notice. It made Nathaniel nervous as the looks continued because of the girls excited squealing.

Adrien noticed and put a hand on his shoulder. "Sorry, it's always like this." He laughed and gave him a gentle smile. Nathaniel suppressed a panic attack.  
'Shoooooot, this was not a good idea. Wow haha, this is the worst and best thing.' He looked away from Adrien in an attempt to quell his rapid heartbeat, but Marinette's bubbly smile did the opposite of that. 'This is hell. I am sitting in hell and I love it'


	2. Agreement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette worries and Adrien thinks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kinda short, but I want to get this out ASAP. Some head canons about future characters, more ooc nonsense. The usual.

Marinette sat in the schools library during her free period, thinking of change. Everybody changes in high school, but the grand prize for most change goes to Nathaniel. Marinette came out more confident, Adrien loosened up, Alya cut her hair, Nino got hot, Sabrina ditched Chloe, and Chloe became a pot smoking disappointment to her mayor father, but something big happened in Nathaniel. He looked different for one. His hair no longer bright red and covering up one eye, but had soft purple tips and was pushed up, reminiscent of his time as the akuma possessed villain the she herself had fought. He was always a cute boy, with a round face and sea blue eyes. Now he always looked tired. His face had thinned along with his frame, and his eyes were a duller color than she remembered. Like someone turned down the saturation on a bright photo. The more time passed, the less light reflected in his gaze. It was so gradual that hardly anyone noticed. Marinette and her friends realized, and decided to help. 

Lunch was her idea. It wasn't long after Adrien asked her out and her excitement settled, about a half hour into class, that he had sent her a text about Nathaniel. He was especially troubled. Adrien said that he even noticed him muttering under his breath. Marinette had always had a soft spot for the red haired artist. And that spot only grew with time. She felt guilty about letting a good friend be hurt without offering help. She would feel especially guilty if he got possessed again, and she had an opportunity to prevent it, but didn't take it. So lunch it was.

"Thanks for letting me come with you today." Nathaniel said simply without meeting Marinette's eyes.  
"No problem! You're nice to hang out with, we'd love to do it again."  
"I'd like that." He waved as he started to head to his class. "I'll see you in studio later?" He called.  
"You bet!" She turned to look up at Adrien. "That was good!" Marinette declared triumphantly.  
"Something's still bothering him." He said it without thinking.  
"What makes you say that? He seems fine." Adrien was a lot more intuitive than his trio of companions when it came to hiding things. Growing up with Gabriel Agreste demanded concealment of feelings and opinions at all times. He knew what it was like to hide something, he knew what it looked like, and he saw it in Nathaniel. It worried him emencely.

_________________________________

Patrol that evening was peaceful, so the heroine and her hero sat on a roof and admired the Paris skyline, like they did on quiet nights.  
"Still thinking about Nathaniel?" Ladybug looked over at her partner. He sighed and leaned back onto the flat of the roof.  
"How could you tell?" He looked at her solemnly.  
"Because I still am." He saw his own expression mirrored in her features.

"....Marinette?"  
"Mmhmm?"  
"I love you." She leaned back to lie next to him. The cool roof chilling her neck.  
"I love you too Adrien."  
A breeze rolled past and moved the hair from her face as she turned to him. He knew what was coming.  
"Do you still love Nathaniel?" He paused anyway.  
"Do you?" He turned her question back to her.  
"Yeah." She intertwined their fingers.  
"Me too." He squeezed her hand and smiled at her a tiny bit. She was relieved that she could talk to him about this. They had talked about him before, but now that they were officially a couple, it should feel different, but it didn't really. She voiced her worry before she thought it through.  
"Am I cheating on you? Is liking him wrong?" He pondered it for a second.  
"No. I don't think so. As long as you or I don't act on it, I think it's fine." She didn't seem satisfied with that.  
"What if, and this is just a hypothetical, we act on it together?" He was confused.  
"What do you mean? Like we both try an woo him and he picks his favorite, like divorcees and a dog?" She giggled.  
"No like, what if we both pursue, and get him to like both of us, and we're all dating each other and everything's fine, dandy, square, peachy keen." He opened his mouths but hesitated. "Think about it," ladybug urged her partner. "Really think about it."  
"Shh I'm thinking about it." He tapped his chin with his free hand and looked through his brain for any ethical blockades. "Alright, so I'm dating you and you're dating me and he is also dating you and you are dating him and I'm dating him and he is dating both of us and every body's aware of the situation?" Ladybug nodded. "I like that idea"  
"Woohoo two boyfriends!" Chat gave her a mock scowl from behind his mask. She winked at him as she stood up and pulled him to his feet. "Let's finish up quick okay? I've got a big day tomorrow." She grinned cheekily.  
"Can't be bigger then the one I've got ahead of me." He smirked as she batted his arm playfully. As she dropped her arm down he took hold of her wrist and gently pulled her closer as he moved his other hand into the small of her back. She reached up and felt the back of his neck as she let their lips meet. The kiss was brief, but intimate. He pulled away and watched as her eyelashes fluttered before looking back up at him. Her deep blue eyes held him in place as she rose up on her toes and pecked the corner of his mouth.  
"Au revoir, mon petit chat"  
"À demain, ma amour"

The pursuit begins tomorrow.


	3. Pep talks and masochism

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang gets ready for school with angst.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like i'm getting better at this. If you haven't realized by now, this fic is extremely self indulgent and I'm sorry haha. Enjoy~

Nathaniel woke up angry. Thank goodness it was Friday, cause if it wasn't he'd probably be staying home. He sat up on his bed. curled himself up in his blanket, and considered staying home anyway. He sighed and rolled onto the floor with a soft thud.  
"Nathaniel? Are you getting up?" A voice came from downstairs  
"Mmmmmghhrhhhhh" he replied.

He headed out the door sporting an old t-shirt, paint covered jeans, and purple bags under his eyes. Today was not his day.

In a bakery a few blocks away, Marinette was getting ready on time for a change, all for the purpose of joint-wooing Nathaniel. She snorted when she thought about the situation she had gotten herself into. Tikki floated up to eye level and scrunched up her tiny features.  
"What?" Marinette asked faux-innocently.  
"Nothing, just wondering how shy Marinette landed two boyfriend in the span of a day." She teased her charge.  
"Tikki, I haven't 'landed' Nathaniel. I don't even know if he still likes me, and who knows if he likes boys. This plan has a lot of ways to fail miserably." She knit her eyebrows together  
"Can three people even be in a relationship together?" The kwami looked at Marinette with genuine interest.  
"Yeah. I've read that it takes commitment, and a lot of communication, but yeah."  
"Are you sure it's worth it? Aren't you happy with Adrien alone?"  
"Yes, but he and I have been talking about it, and we think it's worth a shot! If it doesn't work out, then he and I will still be together. We also agreed that if he likes one of us, but not the other, then we drop the matter entirely."  
"Alright Marinette, I trust you, but last question. Is this fair for Nathaniel?" Marinette paused to think about it.  
"We won't take it too far." She responded slowly. "We'll respect his boundaries." Tikki giggled with her chime-like voice. "What now?" Marniette giggled right back.  
"Two boyfriends!" The super-heroine poked her kwami playfully in the stomach.

A few miles away, a similar conversation was taking place in the Agreste mansion. Plagg was lying leisurely across Adrien's bathroom sink as he fixed his hair. He had it in a style that was a mix between chat noir and a short side-sweep he had while he was 15. Controlled chaos took a good 10 minuets every morning.  
"How does the back look?" Plagg didn't move his eyes away from the cheese he was admiring.  
"Really good."  
"Great! But it has to be perfect for Nathaniel. Should I wear the dark turquoise jacket, or the maroon one?"  
Plagg finished his cheese and cleared his throat. "I like the style of the maroon one, but the turquoise one matches Nathaniel's eyes."  
Adrien lit up. "You're right!" He held up the jacket to look at it in the mirror, caught Plagg's grin and deflated."Oh you're making fun of me."  
"No!" Plagg insisted, unconvincingly. Adrien pursed his lips in suspicion. "Okay yeah I am, but Nino's right, you're too easy." Adrien looked serious all of a sudden. "Hey, wait, oh jeez. I'm sorry Adrien, do you want me to fix the back of your hair for you? I mean it." Plagg floated up and started playing the the teen's hair. "Ya know, I've been there along side every chat noir there ever was. Some had girlfriends, some had boyfriends, and some were content with having nobody. But you are the first with both a girlfriend and a boyfriend." Plagg chucked as he smoothed out a loose strand.  
"He's not my boyfriend." Adrien huffed.  
"Not yet! And not with this cowlick." Adrien sighed and put his face in his hands.  
"I'm really nervous Plagg. I know he likes Marinette, and he has never called himself 'straight', but that doesn't mean anything if he doesn't like me. Marinette and I agreed that if he doesn't like both of us, then we stop. Ugh this is stressful."  
"Adrien, you are a catch. Trust me. If you can land ladybug, you can land anybody."  
"You don't know that."  
"Yes I do!" The kwami moved to look Adrien in the eyes. "Because only a few chat noir's have done it! I mean there were other factors involved, like age differences, orientations, and availability, but! Every chat that managed it had one thing in common." Adrien looked genuinely interested.  
"And that was..?"  
"Every single one was blonde." 

That actually got Adrien to laugh a little. The tension left his shoulders and the worry on his face dissipated. "Don't worry kid, you've got this"  
"I've got this." He repeated as he slipped on the maroon jacket.  
"I thought you decided on turquoise."  
"Maroon is his favorite color." Adrien replied as he moved out of the door.  
_________________________________

Adrien arrived at the steps of the school only a few minutes after Marinette did. "Hey, you're early today." He greeted her with a kiss on the cheek.  
"I got ready as soon as I woke up!" She said proudly and she put her hands on her hips. Adrien smiled, obviously amused.  
"You mean like most people do?"  
"Hey don't make fun of me, I have a hard time getting motivated in the morning. I had a good reason today" she smiled out of the corner of her mouth, looking cheeky.  
"Looks like that reason is running late today. He should be here by now. Maybe he stayed home. Oh shoot I wore a cute outfit for nothing."  
"Stop you're going to jinx it!"  
"Mari, if what I said was jinxing it then what you just said definitely jinxed it."  
"Okay wow, you're totally jinxing it more than I am."  
"Shh there he is I told you so."

Nathaniel started up the school steps, eyes fixed on his feet and looking like the definition of disheveled.  
"Morning Nathaniel!" Marinette called. He glanced up at her voice, gave her a wave and a small smile, but kept on trudging toward the building. Marinette looked up at Adrien for help.  
"Hey, Nathaniel wait up!" The red headed boy paused and watched as the couple jogged up the steps to walk beside him. "What's your first period?" Nathaniel looked visibly shaken as he stumbled to reply.  
"Biology."  
"May we walk you there?" Marinette chimed in.  
"S-sure" He practically whispered it.  
"Do you like biology?" Adrien looked at him inquisitively and he melted.  
"Y-yeah, I mean the professor is a little harsh, but the coursework is interesting..." Marinette and Adrien looked at each other from behind Nathaniel and congratulated themselves on getting more than one word out of the boy. They continued to take turns talking to him until the three of them found themselves in front of Ms. Spencer's AP biology class.  
"Do you want to go out for lunch again today?" Adrien asked him hopefully. Nathaniel was tired and grumpy and definitely not in the mood to have his heart ripped out and cut up repeatedly.  
"I'd like that." 'What's wrong with you, you masochist?' He thought inwardly. Marinette beamed at him.  
"Great! See you after third period, bye Nathaniel." They walked away holding hands and smiling at him. He waited until they rounded the corner before heading into class.  
'This is going to end badly.' He thought as he absentmindedly drew the two on his paper.

As soon as they were out of sight, Marinette and Adrien took their signature pose and fist bumped. It earned a few curious glanced from fellow students and staff. But they were too caught up in their excitement to notice.

"Mission accomplished!"


	4. The Loss Of A Loved One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that I haven't updated in forever! I hope you all like this~ nobody actually dies btw haha.

First hour, Adrien was giddy for lunch with Nathaniel. Second hour, he was nervous and shaky while trying not to think about what could go wrong. By the beginning of third hour, he was having serious second thoughts about the entire situation. All in all, not a whole lot got done that morning.

Adrien sat next to Nino with a thud and sank deeper into his chair, until his back was touching the bottom of the seat. Nino looked down at him with extreme concern. "Uuh feeling okay down there buddy?"  
"Oh yeah just chilling out, thinking about life, panicking, the usual."  
"Should I be worried?"  
"I dunno man, feel how you want. I can't tell you to worry or not, that's up to you bro." Nino's concern grew.  
"I feel concerned." He voiced. Adrien looked up at him.  
"I feel anxious." Adrien replied as Nathaniel trudged through the door. Adrien shot up in his seat and slammed his knee into the table, creating the largest sound that bone smacking wood could possibly produce. Nino looked at him with wide eyes and a slack jaw. Unfazed, Adrien greeted the red head, who was looking more than a little shocked.  
"Hi Nathaniel!" He smiled blissfully.  
"He-ey... A-are you alright?" He said as he noticed a slight twitch under Adrien's eye.  
"I am perfectly fine, but thank you for your concern, you're so sweet." Adrien tried to keep composed as the corners of his eyes started to water.  
"(...Never did thank me for my concern hmph...)" Nino mumbled under his breath.

Nathaniel sat down behind him and Adrien began to write furiously of a piece of paper before folding it neatly and sliding it to Nino.  
'Haha kill me.'  
Nino passed back the note with 20 question marks and a confused look to match.  
'Mari and I asked Nathaniel to lunch' Adrien scrawled an anxious looking face next to the message.  
'You mean you two are actually going to try this? I thought you were joking o_0'  
'>:[ that not helping! I really didn't think this through! I'm so anxious what to I do??' His face was pleading as he slid Nino the note.

The class was supposed to be reading their textbooks, so the room was completely silent except for creaking chairs, paper being turned, and the occasional sniffle. Nathaniel looked to the desk in front of him when he heard the sound of writing and saw Nino pass a note under the table to Adrien. The blond opened it and hid it in his textbook to make sure the teacher couldn't see. Adrien turned his shoulder and peered up at him, then angled to note so that Nathaniel couldn't see it.  
'Oh jeez he doesn't want me to see what he wrote, oh god he must think I'm such a weirdo, I bet that's what he's telling Nino about. Probably trying to get advice on how to uninvite me to lunch. Or he could just be trying to have a private conversation, not everything is about me, damn.' Adrien finished and looked at Nathaniel out of the corner of his eye and slid the note into Nino's hand. Nino took the note and peered over his shoulder at Nathaniel, 'Oh my god it is about me.'

Adrien read the last note Nino had given him and felt a boost of confidence. 

It read, 'Chill.' 

He read it again. He looked over at Nino with thankfulness and teary eyes. 'You always know what to say, ily <3' Before Adrien could pass it to Nino a loud snap shocked him into looking up, straight into the professor's eyes. They were beady, wrinkled, and almost red as they scowled down at him. Her ruler was an inch from his hand.  
"I know that you are seniors, and that you are nearly adults, but when you act like children I really do not mind treating you as such. Mr. Agreste will you please share with the class what you and your friend were discussing in the middle of silent reading? Or should I take it and read it allowed for you?" 

Her eyes were unwavering and piercing into his soul. He couldn't look away. Adrien was trying to simultaneously think of a way out of it and prepare for his imminent death when Nino swiped the paper from his shaking grip and stuffed it into his mouth. Shock fell like a wave onto the classroom, even Nino looked surprised. The professor's expression snapped from one boy to the other and her surprised eyes quickly changed to livid. She opened her mouth almost inhumanly wide and a rumbling growl escaped her maw. Her eyes hot with rage instilled fear into the student's very core of being. In a voice that seemingly ascended from the depths of hell, the demon sentenced him.

"P R I N C I P A L"

No one spoke, moved, or breathed as Nino rose and walked out of the room. She turned back to Adrien.

"You. Are. Lucky." She slapped his text book with her ruler and the whole class flinched. "Read."

Boy time does fly when you experience unbridled fear. At least Nathaniel didn't hear what Nino and him were discussing.

Something hit his shoulder. He turned to see Julika give him a sympathetic look and mouth the words, 'I'm sorry for your loss.'  
Adrien lifted his hand to his heart and mouthed 'thank you' while wiping a pretend tear from his eye.  
The sound of grinding teeth and the feel of two red eyes on him turned his attention back to his textbook.

The teacher made the class wait an extra 5 minutes after class, so Nathaniel and Adrien had to rush to meet Marinette outside of the school for lunch. She noticed them and her eyes lit up. It was sunny out, but both Adrien and Nathaniel knew there was nothing brighter than her smile. Both of their cheeks flushed.  
"There you two are! Are you ready to go?"  
They both grinned at her from ear to ear. Nothing like a cute girl to recover from extreme trauma.  
"Good! Wait, where's Nino?"  
"He sacrificed himself for me bless his soul" Adrien sniffled as Nathaniel nodded solemnly. "Wait, where's Alya?" Marinette looked away and pushed her eyebrows together. Something Adrien knew meant that she was about to lie.  
"She... Got... Caught up with newspaper!" It sounded suspiciously uncertain. Marinette was strangely bad at lying considering the fact that her alternate identity demanded secrecy. "Heh heh, busy gal. Let's go!" She started ahead of them in the direction of the café they visited yesterday. Nathaniel and Adrien shared a short and quizzical look before jogging after her.


End file.
